Hinging too early (following the kettlebell)

Common Mistake

The movement in the knees and/or the hips is initiated immediately or too early when the moves into the drop from racking followed by the bacxkswing. As soon as the weight moves back down you are following it or just too early.

Solution

Stay in extension longer and wait until the weight is no longer moving away from the body but on its backswing and near the body. Stand straight longer, as long as it takes for the weight to swing back toward the body, and is close enough to not cause unnecessary stress on the lower back due to the position of the body and the weight being far away. If you follow the weight as it moves away then you are moving it even further away from the body while bending forward.

Description

Hinging too early is a common mistake that can be made with kettlebell swings, cleans, and snatches. We also refer to this as following the kettlebell, i.e., the moment the weight drops away from racking you are following it or simply hinging too early.

This mistake happens during the swing after the bell reaches the top of the swing and then falls back down.

During the clean, it happens when the weight moves from the racking position into the drop and backswing.

During the snatch, it happens when the weight moves from the overhead position into the drop and backswing. All this results in excessive stress on the lower back.

Bending too early can also result in jerks on the arm/shoulder as there is slack between you and the weight which will abruptly result in a jerk on a straight arm. These jerks can be a major contributor to tendon issues around the elbow area.

Another thing that can contribute to this mistake is bending the neck and following the weight with the eyesight. If you keep your eyesight ahead until the weight swings back and is closer to your body then this will assist in maintaining good posture.

Related Exercises